As cellular communications systems have evolved, a number of cellular protocols or technologies have been created to define the evolution. For example, cellular systems are currently transitioning between earlier cellular protocols that can be described in terms of 3G (e.g., CDMA 2000 and UMTS) to 4G long-term evolution (LTE) cellular protocols. As the transitions occur, wireless devices communicating over cellular communications systems often interact with base stations that offer 3G cellular protocols or LTE protocols. The wireless devices may be able to communicate using both 3G and LTE cellular protocols but are programmed to prefer the newer LTE cellular protocols because they generally offer better performance relative to their older 3G counterparts. This preference is governed by a number of agreed-upon industry standards that have been established by the 3GPP organization.
Some wireless devices have unique configurations and a preference to use one cellular protocol over another that may interfere with their unique configurations. In one example, LTE cellular protocols use packet-switching for both voice communications as well as short message system (SMS) messaging and cellular chipsets can include default instructions to prefer LTE cellular protocols. But some wireless devices may be configured to use LTE cellular protocols for voice communications and a circuit-switched cellular protocol for short message system (SMS) messaging. When wireless devices configured in this way attach to a base station providing cellular communications service using LTE, the devices can detect that voice communications are possible and then remain attached to the base station despite an inability to send SMS messages using the packet-switched cellular protocol. Given the preference for LTE use, the specially-configured wireless device may remain in a condition where it cannot communicate SMS messages.